Control means for guns or the like



S. A. FARRELL.

CONTROL MEANS ron mms OR THE LIKE.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 23, I916- 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

awn/ran TI'ORNEY S. A. FARRELL. CONTROL MEANS FOR GUNS OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23, I916. 11,374,144. Patented p 5, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET Z- S. A. FARRELL.

- CONTROL MEANS FOR GUNS OR THE LIKE. l APPLICATION man NOV. 23. 1916.

1,37%, 144 atented Apr. 5, 1921.

a SHEETS-SHEET a.

STEPHEN A. FARRELL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AUTOMATIC GUNCONTROL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CONTROL MEANS FOR GUNS OR THE LIKE Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may con cern Be it known that I. STErHE A. FARRELL,residing at Brooklyn, in the county of lungs and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Control Means for Gunsor the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for corn trolling guns or the like, andthe object of the invention is to provide a device by means of which twoor more men may work sin'iultaneously and independently for training theguns, the work of one man being subject to approval and modification byanother.

more specific object is to provide a device as indicated. particularlyadapted for use on shipboard, by means of which one man. to be referredto as the smooth weather man. may work to counteract the unstablecondition of the guns mounting, due to the rolling of the ship, while asecond man. known as a pointer, may work to point. the gun in the usualmanner as if the mounting were Stable.

A further object is to provide means whereby the work of the gun men isreduced and simplified and rendered more accurate and reliable.

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific thanthose referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out-in the course of the following description of the elements.combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles,constituting the invention; and the scope of protection contemplatedwill be indicated in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings which are to be taken a part of thisspecification, and in which I have shown merely a preferred form ofembodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through a gun turret showinga practical application of the device of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the mechanism shown in Fig.1, illustrating the use of a variable speed gear in connectiontherewith; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a modification whereby morethan two men tmay operate simultaneously and independently forcontrolling the gun.

Referring to the drawings for describing in detail the structureillustrated therein, L indicates the gun which is pivotally mounted asat l in the usual manner.

The smooth weather man is stationed at a hand lever or wheel 2 which isconnected by suitable shaft-mg and gears with one side of an equal zingmechanism G. He stands before a cllnometer 3 or other similar instrumentwhich is subject to the rolling motion of the ship and which willindicate the extent of such motion, in a well understood manner notrequiring minute illustration or description here. He will operate hishand wheel or wheels in accordance with the indications observed.

The pointer is stationed at a hand lever or wheel 4 which is connectedby suitable shaftmg and gears with the opposite side of the equalizingmechanism G. He stands hetore a sighting instrument 5 which is movablewith the gun.

The equalizing mechanism G comprises a cylindrical casing 6 which isjournaled to rotate within suitable bearings 7 Gear teeth 8 are providedexteriorly upon its annular surface and mesh with the teeth of a gear 9which transmits the rotarv movement of the casing through suitableshatting and gears 10 and 11 to a gear pinion 12 which operativelyengages the teeth of a rack 13 fixed to the gun. Thus rotary movement ofthe casing 6 is transmitted as a swinging motion to the gun to alter theele- 'ation and depression of the gun.

lVithin the casingG the shafting controlled by the smooth weather man isconnected to a gear 1-l while the shafting controlled by the pointer isconnected to a gear 15. Gears 16 and 17 mesh with the gears 14 and 15,being carried upon stub shafts journaled in the side walls of the casingto rotate at right angles to the plane of rotation of the gears 14 and15.

One complete rotation of the gear 14 will move the casing one-half of acomplete rotation, supposing the gear 15 to be at rest. If the gear 15,however. is moved, the rotation ofthe casing will be modifiedaccordingly.

Thus the efforts of the smooth weather man are imparted to the gun inaccordance with the indications upon the device 3 and serve to alter theposition of the gun relatively to its mounting in such manner as toPatented Apr. 5, 1921. I

' ment, or other devi maintain the gun in a position relatively to thetarget substantially the same as if the gun mounting were stable.

The efforts of the gun pointer are imparted to the gun according to theindications observed through the sighting instrument 5 in the samemanner as if the gun mounting were stable.

The two men work independently for accomplishing their functions as ifno connection existed between them and yet their efforts areautomatically subjected to modification one by the other.

In the diagrammatic illustration Fig. 2, a slight modification of thestructure above described is illustrated, in that the gears 11 in saiddiagrammatic illustration are shown to be associated with a variablespeed mechanism represented by the casing 18. The details of theconstruction of this variable speed mechanism are not shown herein slncethis is a well-known and previously used construction. The variablespeed mechanism is controlled by what is known as a tilting-box whichconsists of certain valve mechanlsm, the operation of which determinethe direction of rotation as well as the relative speed of the drivingand driven shaft. This valve mechanism is also not shown but it will beunderstood that the gear wheel 11 controls said valve mechanism toaccomplish the functions above 1ndicated. A constantly driven motor H isemployed for driving the shaft 19 which carries a worm pinion 20operatively engaging a rack 21 fixed to the gun, the gearing 11constituting control means whereby the smooth weather man and thepointer operate through the tilting-box to alter the speed, or reversethe direction of rotation imparted to the shaft 19 from the motor H, ina well understood manner, which does not require further descriptionhere.

The essential difference between the structures illustrated in Figs. 1and 2 is simply that in Fig. 1 the man power is depended upon entirelyfor moving the gun, whereas in Fig. 2 the power of the motor is dependedupon for moving the gun and the man power is employedsimply to modifythe action of the'motor upon the gun.

It should be pointed out, with reference to the structure of Fig. 1,that at the point where the gears 11 are illustrated it may beunderstood that the variable speed mechanism 18, and motor are alsoindicated and that the gears 11 operate upon the tiltingbox mechanism asshown in Fig. 2, if desired.

Also it should be noted that each of the men operating the device may beguided in their work by the use of a sighting instruce, associated withthe gun, if desired.

. Referrin now to the modification shown in Fig. 3, 1t will be seen thatthe shafts as and 23 which extend from opposite sides of the, equalizingmechanism G are each connected to be rotated by two men instead of byone man, as in the previous structure.

The two men, known as smooth weather men, are stationed at the handwheels 24 and 25 and operate through suitable shafting 26 and gears 27upon opposite sides of an auxiliary equalizing mechanism 28, the casingof which is connected to rotate the shaft 22 through suitable shaftingand gears 29 and 30. The shafting 22 is operatively connected to apointer 31 for moving the pointer in response to the movements of the.

shaft 22 and said pointer is of course arranged for proper observationby the smooth weather men in the same manner as heretofore described.

The pointers are stationed at hand wheels 32 and 33 and operate throughsuitable shafting 34 and gears 35 upon opposite sides of an auxiliaryequalizing mechanism 36, the casing of which is connected to rotate theshaft 23 through suitable shafting and gears 37 and 38.

The pointers are, of course, positioned with respect to a sightinginstrument associated with the gun.

Of course, the so-called smooth weather men may also employ a sightinginstrument if desired, in the same manner as above suggested withrespect to the other figures. It will be understood, of course thatthere is a predetermined relation established between the clinometermechanism and the mechanism for moving the gun whereby a certain angularmovement of the pointer 3 will cause a proportional movement of the gun.

By this mechanism the rotation of the casing of the equalizing mechanismG is placed under the control of four men. Each of these may perform hisoffice as if the others were not present. His action will, however, besubject to refinement and alteration by the others and the result willbe transmitted to the casing of the equalizing mechanism Gr so that theactual movements imparted to said casing will be highly refined and ofgreat accuracy.

Although not illustrated, it is apparent that each of the shafts 26 and34 could be connected with the casings of other equalizing devices inthe same manner as the shafts 22 and 23 are connected to the equalizingdevices 28 and 36, so that two men could be utilized for operating eachof the shafts 26 and 34, making eight men in all. This division ofcontrol could be carried on to any extent desired.

In this modification the casing of the equalizing mechanism G may beconnected to operate through the gear 9 and shaft 10 directly upon the.gun, as suggested in Fi 1, or upon the variable speed mechanism 18, assuggested in Fig. 2, as desired, or it may operate through an auxiliaryequalizing mechanism 39, as illustrated in Fig. 3. In Fig. 3 thevariablespeed mechanism 18 is shown associated with the motor H and the driveshaft 19 with pinion 20 and rack 21 for moving the gun. The control gearas 40, of the tilting-box is operatively connected with the casing ofthe equalizing device 39 through suitable gears 41 and shafting 42 sothat the rotation of the casing will rotate the 'gear 40 and control theeffect of the motor upon the shaft 19. The shaft 10 from the equalizingdevice. G communicates with one side of the auxiliary equalizing device39 through the, gear 9 and shaft 10. The opposite side of is operativelyconnected with the shaft 19 through suitable shafting 43 and gears 44.

y this arrangement the rotation of the casing of the equalizing device Goperates through the auxiliary equalizing device 39 and-gear 40 tocontrol the effect of the motor upon the shaft 19 and the gun and thisoperation is modified by the effect of the rotation of the shaft 19 uponthe opposite side of the auxiliary equalizing device 39 so that theoperators, stationed at the hand wheels 24, 25 and 32,33, are requiredto rotate their hand wheels in one direction only while the gun is beingmoved in a certain direction. lVhen the'operators stop moving their handwheels the connections between the shaft 19 and the gear wheel 40 willclose the valve mechanism whereby the shaft 19 will come to rest. Thenthe operators move their hand wheels in the opposite direction and thegun will be moved in a reverse direction and will likewise be brought torest where the operators cease operating their the equalizing device 39hand wheels. The mechanism justdescribed is known as follow upmechanism.

f course the manner of connecting the equalizing device G with the gun,as shown in Fig. 3, is not necessarily limited to association with theother devices shown in said figure, but may as well be employed inconnection with the two-man control shown in Fig. 2, if desired.

As many changes could be made in this construction without departingfrom the scope of the following claims, it is intended thatallmattercontained in the above desciption or shown in the accompanyingdrawing shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limitingsense.

aving thus described my invention what i I claim as new and desire tersPatent is:

In a device of the class described the combination with a member to betrained, of a motor for training said member, connections between themotor and the member including a tilting-box having a controlelementassociated therewith for modifying the effect of the motor uponthe member, a manually operable hand wheel, connections from the handwheel to the control element for operating the control element, andmeans associated with the member and with said last mentionedconnections for modifying the effect of the hand wheel upon the controlelement in response to the movements of the member.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

STEPHEN A. FARRELL.

to secure by Let- Witnesses:

CHARLES S. FOLTZ, EMMA WEINBERG.

